Four men suspected of hanging a white supremacist banner on a railroad bridge in Queen Creek, Ariz., were arrested on Aug. 1 for trespassing.
News 12 reported that the banner stated, “Hitler was right” and linked to a white supremacist website. The four men, who are believed to be from 27 to 38 years old, were taking photos next to the banner when the police approached them. The men said it was freedom of speech, but police pointed to a sign stating that trespassing wasn’t allowed.
The four men were subsequently arrested and could potentially face further zoning violations, but police are not pursuing the matter as a hate crime.
Paul Rockower, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Phoenix, told News 12, “It’s unfortunate these individuals would stoop to such stupidity, climb out on bridges hang hateful material and that they wouldn’t do something better with their lives. People who don’t have a strong enough sense of history or their own identity gravitate toward hate communities that give them this little hit, a feeling they’re accepted but unfortunately this leads down a path to nowhere.”
StandWithUs CEO and co-founder Roz Rothstein tweeted, “Thank you Arizona S[h]eriff’s deputies for arresting 4 anti-Semites who went to great lengths to hang this hateful sign.”
Thank you Arizona Seriff’s deputies for arresting 4 antisemites who went to great lengths to hang this hateful sign https://t.co/Y0LCZ2O4fQ
— Roz Rothstein (@RozRothstein) August 5, 2020
12 News Anchor Mark Curtis also tweeted, “Every once in a while they crawl out from under the woodpile to spread their message of hate.”
Every once in a while they crawl out from under the woodpile to spread their message of hate. #Sad #12News https://t.co/ozi1GTKw4g
— MARK CURTIS (@mcurtis12news) August 4, 2020
According to the Anti-Defamation League, the number of anti-Semitic incidents in Arizona declined from 58 in 2018 to 30 in 2019.
